Improvement in the manufacture of felted fabrics



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEO EDWIN D. MCGRACKEN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF FELTED FABRICS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,13], dated August 1,1865.

To all whom it may concern:

it Be it know u that I, EDWIN D. MCORAGKEN, of the city, county, andState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in FeltedGoods; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

It has long been a desideratum with manufacturers of hats and otherfelted goods to obtain some cheap vegetable fiber that could be mixedwith wool or fur and so incorporated therewith by the felting process asto produce a perfect felt. This has been more especially the case withrespect to fur goods, the very high price of for rendering it verydesirable to find some cheaper material that could be mixed with itwithout deteriorating the quality of the goods; but I believe thathitherto no vegetable fiberot' suitable character has been discovered,or, if discovered, has ever. been successfully treated to render itpractically applicable to the purpose. I have discovered that the fibersof the valious reeds and canes, particularly those classified bybotanists as arundo and bambusa, are applicable to the above purpose;and my invention consists in the use of such fibers, in combination withfur or wool, or with both tor and wool, in the manufacture of felt hatsor other felted goods.

In carrying out my invention I take the cane or reed and after cuttingitinto pieces of convenient length for manipulation I disintegrate it,either by the steam process of Lyman or by subjecting it to the actionof alkalies or acids,

as is the common practice for the disintegration of vegetable fiber, orby any other suitable means. I then bleach and. further disintegrate thefiber by boilingitin a solution of caustic alkali, either in an openvessel or in a close boiler under pressure. After thus boiling I wash itin clean water, dry it in a centrifugal machine or by other means, andsubject it to the action of pickers, cards or other machinery used forseparating animal or vegetable fibers. The mixture of the fiber withwool may be effected in a picker or carding machine, and its mixturewith fur may be effected in the manner practiced in mixing fur ofdifferent I according to the fineness of the fiber required,

a stronger solution being required to produce a lighter-colored andliner fiber and a weaker solution to produce a darker-colored andcoarser fiber.

The maximum strength above mentioned is only necessary when it isdesired to reduce the cane or reed to its ultimate fiber. I have foundby experiment that from thirty-three to fifty per cent.,by weight, ofthe cane or reed fiber I may be mixed with fur orwool without apparentlyimpairing the quality of the felt. It is probable that even a largerproportion of the cane or reed fiber may be used, and of course as muchsmaller a proportion as is desired may be used. 1

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The use of the fiberof cane or reed, in combination with woolor fur, orwith both wool and fur, in the manufacture of fl ted goods,substantially as liereinldeso DWI

